What Am I Making?

It's an icy/snowy day. School was cancelled because the early time frame was treacherous, and it will start up again around 4 leading to 4-6 inches overnight.  So . . . no school tomorrow, I'm sure. In between the treacherous morning and what's heading our way, the roads were perfectly passable so the kids went to the gym with me, and then we stopped by the grocery store.  Why does one buy so much more when the kids are along?  I even sent them to a different part of the store, and they weren't asking for anything anyway.  I just felt more inspired, I guess.

SO . . . when I got home, I assembled the following ingredients. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to look at them and tell me what I'm making. The only thing that goes in that isn't in the photo is the water.

I also have carnitas-in-the-making in the crockpot, and will probably bake some cookies.  Yum.  I love snow days.

and here's the after photo.  I like to let it cool, chill it in my outside refrigerator overnight (it's colder out there than in my fridge -- and there's more room), then add some water tomorrow and serve. By then the spicy sausage flavor will have really "mmmm'd" in.

Dana from Bug's Eye View was right -- it's Lentil Soup

And you should go read her poetry.

It's good.

And here's the recipe:

Lentil Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2-3 stalks celery, diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano 

2 bay leaves

2 cups lentils

4 cups water

4 cups bouillon

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup spicy sausage (or mild if you prefer)

salt & pepper

Heat the oil, saute the onion, celery and carrots until the onion is soft.  Add the garlic, basil, oregano. Let it cook together for 2 minutes.  Add the bay leaves, lentils, water, bouillon, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.

Add vinegar and sausage, adjust seasonings, and serve.

OR, cover it tightly, put it in your garage or carport, and let it sit overnight. When you heat it tomorrow, throw in the last bit of a chunk of parmesan you've been saving for just this occasion.  Serve steaming hot with hot beer bread that you're going to make with that cheap beer someone left at your house from the last party.

Yum.

If you have a variation of lentil soup that you enjoy, feel free to share! Or e-mail me at southlakesmom at yahoo dot com.